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Backyard Frame Work.

01-14-2011, 06:11 AM

I have a 1993 diesel dodge dually. When my uncle owned it the right rear axle popped out, the frame hit the ground. Now the frame is bent up and a little in it really wears the tires down! I don't have the money too take it in to dodge house and let them fix it and I don't have the money for a new truck.

The frame is bent just in front (cab side) of the shock and spring hanger. This is why it is out of alignment and chewing up tires and I can't get it fixed till I fix the frame.

I'm thinking I want too use some BIG I-beam, C-clamps, Binders, comealong, Chain fall, engine hoist, and whatever it takes too straighten this thing out. At the end of the frame rails it is only out of place by 2".

So I drop the fuel tank, rear end, all electrical, and strip anything I can think of that might get destroyed. On the side that is in good condition I place my I-beam on the frame and weld big plates from the top of the "I" to the bottom of the "I", This will give me my JIG.

I place my JIG in the side to be repaired and use as little heat as possible while my helper uses our beam wrench to push the frame back into place, Then the JIG will hold it and it will cool naturally.

I know this is not a permanent fix. I know this is not a factory perfect fix. I only need this truck to run until mid June and I can fix it right.

So what do y'all think? Sound like a good plan? Did I miss anything? Do you know of a better way?

The dealer isn't the only option for frame repairs to a nearly twenty year old vehicle. I'd call around to shops that do this sort of repair and get some quotes before I dove in with big beams and jigs. Find a place that'll work with you and strip from the vehicle what they say is in the way, then trailer or wrecker it to 'em and $500 or less later you're ready to put it back together fixed.

If cost turned out to be prohibitive I'd consider leaving the bent frame bent and simply building custom leaf spring mounts to return wheel alignment

2" out is a lot and besides wasting tires the thing is probably pretty unsafe.. a panic stop.. on a wet road.. maybe in a turn?
Crashing, casualties, lawsuits.. can really upset the flow of one's day..

Comment

while working on frame of vehicle you must have to wear mechanix gloves. that will escape you from any injury during work. that's what i want to say and now it will be upon to you how will you handle this.

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You could also do what a lot of guys do with semis that want to change out their rears especially if changing the Mfg or the weight of the rears. Buy a rear frame clip from the boneyard and do a frame graft. Just be sure to sleeve it on the inside and fish plate on the outside.

Perhaps you could get a few of your root beer drinking buddies to come and help you and you could polish the job off in a weekend and a few 12 packs of rootbeer then when the job is done break out the budweiser.

This is what I'd do if it were my truck and I've done it before on both pickups and semi tractors that I've owned in the past.

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while working on frame of vehicle you must have to wear mechanix gloves. that will escape you from any injury during work. that's what i want to say and now it will be upon to you how will you handle this.

Yes by ALL MEANS wear those Mechanix Gloves, they will escape you from any injury during work. Even if the truck somehow slips off the jack stands, and lands on your head with it's full weight, you will escape any injury as long as you wear those gloves. If you get soaked in gasoline AND the fuel tank explodes, you will escape any injury, so long as you have those gloves on. I wonder if they make them in BODY GLOVE sizes too ?

Comment

You could also do what a lot of guys do with semis that want to change out their rears especially if changing the Mfg or the weight of the rears. Buy a rear frame clip from the boneyard and do a frame graft. Just be sure to sleeve it on the inside and fish plate on the outside.

Perhaps you could get a few of your root beer drinking buddies to come and help you and you could polish the job off in a weekend and a few 12 packs of rootbeer then when the job is done break out the budweiser.

This is what I'd do if it were my truck and I've done it before on both pickups and semi tractors that I've owned in the past.

If only you being able to wear the gloves when appropriately designed, realized you this thread being one and one half years older happened.

JT

Some days you eat the bear. And some days the bear eats you.

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Yes by ALL MEANS wear those Mechanix Gloves, they will escape you from any injury during work. Even if the truck somehow slips off the jack stands, and lands on your head with it's full weight, you will escape any injury as long as you wear those gloves. If you get soaked in gasoline AND the fuel tank explodes, you will escape any injury, so long as you have those gloves on. I wonder if they make them in BODY GLOVE sizes too ?

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to get it back into shape really isnt that hard if you have patience, i have a cj5 that i built up, i plated the frame with 1/4" plate, swapped out old axles for larger ones, moved them both from there original location, extended the frame, ect. i found that if i got the truck frame perfectly level, removed the tires from the rims, bolt them up, on the frt, make sure they are 90 degrees from the axle tube. now you have to locate where to place the axles, spring hangers ect. before you do any finish measurements, load up the vehicle with some weight to compress the springs as in normal use. a string or straight edge will get them in line, thats why the bare rims, and check the cross deminsions. if you take your time, the truck should go down the road nice and straight with normal tire wear. its a back yard method but it works, good luck

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Yeah I figured as much. That's why I didn't even bother clicking on the link he provided. His comments read like some of the owners manuals for the cheap Chinese tools I have read. It loses something in translation from Chinese to English. I've always preferred doing mechanic work barehanded anyway, that way I have a better feel for the fasteners and tools. About the only work I do wearing gloves is welding or working with wire rope(steel cable).